Thursday, April 2, 2026

Gospel of Mark Part 59: A Couple Days Before Palm Sunday

Previous messages by Rev. B. A. Shields found here

 

Gospel of Mark

Part 59: A Couple Days Before Palm Sunday

By Rev. Bruce A. Shields

 

 

 

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SERMON TIMELINE

  1. Introduction
  2. John the Baptist
  3. The Baptism of Jesus
  4. Temptation of Jesus
  5. The Preaching Ministry of Jesus I
  6. The Preaching Ministry of Jesus II
  7. The First Disciples
  8. A Teacher with Authority
  9. At the Home of Simon and Andrew

10.  Jesus Cleanses the Leper

11.  Jesus Heals the Paralytic

12.  Jesus and the Tax Collector

13.  Jesus Questioned About Fasting

14.  Of Wine and Wineskins

15.  Jesus, Lord of the Sabbath & Resurrection Sunday 2025

16.  Hard Hearts and Hard Thoughts

17.  Three Responses to Jesus

18.  Jesus Appoints the Apostles

19.  The Family of Jesus

20.  The Unforgivable Sin

21.  The True Family of Jesus

22.  Parable of the Four Soils

23.  How Well Do You Listen

24.  Parable of the Growing Seed

25.  Parable of the Mustard Seed

26.  Benefits of Private Teaching

27.  Jesus Calms the Storm

28.  Who is Afraid of Jesus?

29.  The Touch of Jesus

30.  When Familiarity Breeds Contempt

31.  Principles of Evangelism

32.  Weakness in the Seat of Power

33.  The Need for Rest

34.  Feeding 5000

35.  Jesus Walks on Water

36.  Healings at Gennesaret

37.  The Danger of Traditions

38.  The Source of True Defilement

39.  Gentile Blessed for Her Faith

40.  He Has Done All Things Well

41.  Jesus Feeds 4000

42.  Jesus Sighs

43.  Beware of Leaven

44.  The Blind Man at Bethsaida

45.  Who Do You Say That Jesus Is?

46.  Mindful of the Things of God

47.  The Cost of Discipleship

48.  The Value of a Soul

49.  Ashamed of Jesus and His Word

50.  The Transfiguration

51.  The Disciples ask Questions

52.  The Unclean Spirit

53.  The Way to Greatness

54.  Principles of Discipleship

55.  God Hates Divorce

56.  Jesus Blesses Children

57.  The Problem with Wealth

58.  The Cost and Reward of Discipleship

59.  A Couple Days Before Palm Sunday

 


INTRODUCTION

          Last week, we read Jesus’ teaching about the cost as well as the reward of true discipleship. This was just after He explained the problems with wealth and how difficult it was for people who were rich to enter the kingdom.

          As Jesus and the disciples, as well as the followers with them, traveled to Jerusalem, Jesus continued speaking with the disciples, trying to give them the last of their training before His crucifixion.

           Including today's verses, Jesus has predicted His passion and resurrection.

 

Passion of Christ?

Not passion as we use the term today. In this context, the word refers to Christ’s suffering. It comes from the Latin passio, which emerged in the fourth century when the Bible was translated into Jerome’s Vulgate. That Latin term reflects the original Greek word paschō, meaning ‘to suffer.’”

 

When did Jesus predict His passion and resurrection?

 

Mark 8:31 in the region of Caesarea Philippi, where He emphasized the necessity of it.

 

Mark 9:31, when traveling through Galilee, where He stressed the certainty of it.

 

And in today's verses, Mark 10:32-34, on the road to Jerusalem, He gives greater detail of it.

If you have ever faced an impending ordeal, something terribly bad, then you know the anticipation itself adds to the trial. The anxiety and stress of knowing what is to come.

As we remember what Jesus went through to save us, we must never overlook the burden of knowing in advance what He would suffer, as well as what helped Him endure!

 

SCRIPTURE REFERENCE

Mark 10:32-34 Jesus again foretells His death and resurrection

“And they were on the road going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was walking on ahead of them; and they were amazed (at what Jesus had just taught about the problems with riches and how the first will be last and the last will be first), and those who followed were fearful.

And again He took the twelve aside and began to tell them what was going to happen to Him:

33 “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and

(I)                          the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and the scribes; and

(II)                      they will condemn Him to death and

(III)                   will deliver Him over to the Gentiles. 34 And

(IV)                   they will mock Him and spit on Him, and

(V)                       flog Him and

(VI)                   kill Him, and

(VII)                three days later He will rise again.”

 

Let us now look at both the setting, as well as His prediction.

 

I.                  THE SETTING

a.     On the road to Jerusalem

                                                   i.      They were making their way from beyond the Jordan through Jericho, traveling to Jerusalem for the Passover.

 

                                                ii.      This would be Jesus’ last trip to Jerusalem.

 

b.    The order in which they were walking

                                                   i.      We see from scripture that Jesus is leading the way

                                                ii.      The disciples are following behind Him

                                             iii.      And the people were further behind

 

                                               iv.      Remember, last week we closed with Jesus remarking, “the first will be last, and the last shall be first.”

                                                  v.      When Jesus made this statement, He had just explained that unless we humble ourselves and put nothing above God, such wealth in His example, we would not find heaven. But by the world's standards, the wealthy are “first,” not the meek and humble; they are considered last.

                                               vi.      While on the road to Jerusalem, Jesus is leading, not “first” because of anything worldly, but because He was a humble servant. The disciples followed, as learning His ways. The crowds, following them, as they follow Jesus.

                                           vii.      They are the “last” in worldly terms, but because of their humility and obedience, they will be considered first in the kingdom.

                                        viii.      This statement from Jesus forces us to self-examine. Where are we in the line according to the world's standards, or the Lord’s?

 

1.    Do you strive for recognition, applause, comfort, wealth, things of this world, or are you truly walking behind Jesus, learning humility, following the way of the cross?

 

                                               ix.      This is a promise and a warning from Christ.

1.    God’s order is different from ours, and eternity will reveal who truly leads and who truly follows.

 

c.     The attitudes as they walked

                                                   i.      Luke 9:51 of the same event tells us Jesus steadfastly set His face upon Jerusalem.

 

                                                ii.      The disciples were filled with awe, both astonished at what Jesus had just taught and understanding that, even though He faced everything He spoke of, Jesus bravely traveled on toward what awaited Him in Jerusalem.

 

                                             iii.      We see the people following further behind were overwhelmed with fear. According to John 9:22; John 11:8; and John 11:57, there was much to be afraid of returning to Jerusalem, where the Chief Priests and Pharisees had already made clear what would happen to anyone calling Jesus “Christ,” and what would happen if Jesus or His disciples showed themselves again.

 

II.              THE PREDICTION

a.     He will be betrayed

                                                   i.      He would be betrayed to the Chief Priests and Scribes (Mark 10:33)

                                                ii.      This means the Sanhedrin, the Supreme Court of the Jews

                                             iii.      We see this prophecy of Jesus fulfilled in Mark 14:41-46

 

b.    He will be condemned.

                                                   i.      Condemned to death and given to the Gentiles

                                                ii.      This refers to the Romans, who were the only ones who had the authority to put anyone to death (John 18:31)

                                             iii.      We see this prophecy of Jesus fulfilled in Mark 14:55-64

c.     He will be delivered to the Gentiles and mocked

                                                   i.      Mark 10:34 tells us he will be treated with contempt, ridiculed, and we read they imitated and mocked Him.

 

                                                ii.      We read this was fulfilled in Mark 15:16-20; Mark 15:29-32

 

d.    He will be spit on

                                                   i.      With anger and contempt

                                                ii.      Prophecy fulfilled in Mark 14:65; Mark 15:19

 

e.     He will be scourged

                                                   i.      Which means to be whipped and punished severely

 

                                                ii.      Vine’s Bible Dictionary describes it as this, “Under the Roman method of 'scourging,' the person was stripped and tied in a bending posture to a pillar, or stretched on a frame. The "scourge" was made of leather thongs, weighted with sharp pieces of bone or lead, which tore the flesh of both the back and the breast."

 

                                             iii.      We see this prophecy of Jesus fulfilled in Mark 15:15

 

f.      He will be killed

                                                   i.      We read that death would follow the torture and mockery of Jesus

                                                ii.      Jesus knew what would become of Him, the torture, the suffering, and it would lead to the cross itself. Matthew 20:19

 

                                             iii.      We see this fulfilled in Mark 16:1-7

 

g.    He will rise on the third day.

                                                   i.      But wait…there was one more thing. The seventh thing Jesus said would take place.

 

                                                ii.      He would be resurrected from the dead

 

                                             iii.      This was foretold very early in His ministry.

 

 

John 2:19-22 “Jesus answered them, “Destroy this sanctuary, and in three days I will raise it up.” 20 The Jews then said, “It took forty-six years to build this sanctuary, and will You raise it up in three days?” 21 But He was speaking about the sanctuary of His body. 22 So when He was raised from the dead, His disciples remembered that He said this; and they believed the Scripture and the word which Jesus had spoken.”

 

                                               iv.      And we see it fulfilled in Mark 16:1-7

 

 

CONCLUSION

           When Jesus predicted all of this for the first time, Peter took Jesus aside and rebuked Him. (Mark 8:31-33).

           The second time Jesus predicted this, the disciples did not understand what Jesus was talking about, but were too afraid to ask. (Mark 9:31-32)

           This time, there is no dispute, no questions, no arguing…it appears they are beginning to understand.

           These verses reveal to us Joses knew everything that would happen to Him. The stress and anxiety from anticipation only added to His suffering, which He endured for our sakes!

           How should we press on when anxiety, troubles, stress, fear, or anything else in this world presses against us?

          

Hebrews answers this question:

“…since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, laying aside every weight and the sin which so easily entangles us, let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary, fainting in heart.” Hebrews 12:1-3

 

Scripture tells us to fix our eyes upon Him! Consider Him, so that you will not grow weary, fainting in heart.

 

Fainting in heart is not just poetic language. It is a way they spoke in the ancient world about the inner collapse of someone under pressure.

 

Today, we would say, “Do not give up, or get burned out.”

 

Charles Rosenbury Erdman (1866–1960), a Presbyterian minister, professor, and New Testament scholar, wrote, “Let us pause to gaze on that face and form, the Son of God, going with unfaltering step toward the Cross! Does it not awaken us to new heroism, as we follow; does it not awaken new love as we see how voluntary was His death for us?”

 

FINAL THOUGHT

          Fix your eyes on Jesus, who walked to the cross knowing all the suffering ahead. Because He endured, we can endure. When your heart feels faint, remember His courage, His love, and His victory—and keep moving forward, trusting Him to carry you through.

 

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